Humans are, by nature, creatures of devotion. Our instincts lead us to find different causes and creeds to lend our dedication and loyalty to – be
it our favorite music artist, the church we’ve attended since childhood, or the brand of orange juice we drink every morning with breakfast. While our motivations for that loyalty are usually complex, we tend to act with purpose, no matter how large or small that purpose may be.
Tiffany Lara’s very first foray into natural hair maintenance came in 2011, shortly after discovering the Uncle Funky’s Daughter product line. Through education and demonstration of the how and why behind our products, she was introduced to a world sans-perm – one that encouraged and inspired her to embrace the natural texture of her hair. One Big Chop and some Good Funky Stuff later, Tiffany was a full-blown naturalista with a head of luscious curls and a new perspective on the capability of her hair.
“I didn’t realize how good my hair was until I started using the product,” Tiffany shared. “I thought I needed a perm. But, I learned otherwise.”
Tiffany’s a path is a familiar one for many natural-haired women, and one that they may have even experienced for themselves. But trouble arose for Tiffany when Uncle Funky’s Daughter began to undergo a period of reorganization, resulting in a sudden scarcity of UFD products.
It was then that Tiffany made a decision that not many other naturalistas would make. With full belief that Uncle Funky’s Daughter was the only product that could produce the look, feel and results she desired, Tiffany elected to revert back to wearing her hair relaxed.
“If y’all don’t make these products, then I can’t stay natural because they truly define what my hair is, and what natural hair should be,” Tiffany explained. “These products bring out what’s best in natural hair.”
However, when new ownership took over, and the products returned to retail in full supply, Tiffany wasted no time in resuming her natural hair journey – which of course meant starting again from scratch.
“Since I had already chopped it, I wasn’t afraid to chop it again,” Tiffany admitted. “I just wanted to get back to where I was.”
Now, the more cynical among us might consider that route to be a bit extreme. Undoing months of care and cultivation simply because of product preference may sound a bit impractical. You can’t tell that to any of our Funky Junkies, though! When you become accustomed to a certain level of expectation or result, it’s hard to settle for anything less.
To that point, Tiffany’s wholehearted faith in our products was certainly not without foundation. She has used almost every product Uncle Funky’s Daughter makes, and has a defined purpose for each one in her rotation.
“I use the Midnite Train as my nighttime conditioner and my Good Hair during the day. Squeaky is my favorite. It tingles a bit, and makes my hair feel just that – squeaky clean,” Tiffany revealed.
“I know which products do what to my hair, and I style my hair depending on my mood. If I’m feeling funky, I wear an afro. If I’m feeling sassy, I know I’m going to comb it out a bit when I get out of the shower and apply my Curly Magic, which gives it a little length and lets it hang. If I’m tired, and I know that I’m not going to want to deal with my hair, I pull it back into a puff.”
Even Tiffany’s two children are Funky Junkies. “I twist my daughter’s hair with Supercurl. It even works with my fifteen-month-old son’s hair – he’s never had any skin allergies or bad reactions to it, because the ingredients are all natural.”
It is both rare and remarkable to be affected by a singular entity in such an encompassing way. It is equally rare that our loyalties remain so steadfast, especially to brands, that we make sacrifices when they’re no longer available to us as resources. It would’ve been far too easy for Tiffany to simply find another natural hair care line to use. But, she knew that things simply wouldn’t be the same for her. Her refusal to settle is admirable, and to her, very much worth it.
“I hope Uncle Funky’s Daughter stays in business for a very long time,” Tiffany said. “Because I love my hair natural, and I want to keep it that way!”
